


What are you waiting for?

by Stormborn93



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Art History, Desire, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, Fluff, Jonerys Week, London, Love/Hate, Lust, Modern Era, Mystery, Passion, Sex, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-03-27 22:45:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13890717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormborn93/pseuds/Stormborn93
Summary: Daenerys ends up in trouble at work when she's joined by a young new intern at her London Auction House. Just how much trouble can Jon Snow get her into? He's just a rough Northerner isn't he?A tale of initial bitterness and resent that might just spark the start of something beautiful.Preview:"She didn’t change her stony expression as she greeted him. He held out his hand to shake hers, when she reached to take his hand she felt him tense ever so slightly. His hand was cool and firm beneath her soft fiery palm, she quickly moved her hand away to her side to avoid lingering too long. She watched as Jon abruptly moved his hand to his side and clenched his fist, as if annoyed. “Nice to meet you Jon.” She spoke coolly and calmly, as she made his acquaintance. “Nice to meet you too Daenerys.” He replied, his voice was deep and thick, like the most wonderful honey. She liked the way her name sounded as it flowed off his tongue. She still wasn’t going to let him get away with this intrusion into her job though"*************************************Jonerys week - Day 4 ~ Modern AU





	1. First impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> My first proper delve into the world of modern AU after my one shot received such glowing praise from you all - so thank you very much! 
> 
> This is going to be angsty and gritty, they definitely will have to take time to break each other down. The slow burn tag is just to reflect that it's not like a lot of my other fics where sex comes almost instantly (because who doesn't want to read incredible smut), but rest assured this fic is rated E for a reason ;) 
> 
> For all my loyal readers of Never Let me Go! The next chapter is coming I promise, I've not given up on that fic at all and I hope you enjoy my other works in the meantime! I've just had so much on with Jonerys valentines and Jonerys week (plus might have been swept into the Scott and Tessa rabbit hole - still trying to claw out miserably) but I'm sure you'll love this one!

The hot haze crept over London early on this sweltering Monday in June. Daenerys threw the covers half off and felt herself toss and turn in a fit of restlessness. Her alarm broke her half-slumber when she looked at the clock and realised it was 8am. She had to be at work in 45 minutes for the annual art review; probably the most important day of the year at work.

She stumbled out of bed and tried to make her way to the bathroom in a hurry, it was hard not to trip over something in her tiny one bedroom apartment. She made a mental note to actually tidy up when she got home from work. Her flat was small but convenient, situated right next to the tube station in Hammersmith. Although it was small, it was light and airy and she was proud that she had been able to afford to rent something in such a good location, especially considering her salary as an art history intern at the Leon Auction house in Knightsbridge. She was especially proud of her achievements getting a position at one of the top auction houses in the city. All the troubles in her childhood and her impoverished past had made her more determined to progress in her chosen career. 

 

She glanced in the mirror at her pale skin and tangled hair, as she quickly tried to brush her teeth and apply make up at the same time. She swept her long platinum hair up into a messy ponytail and quickly applied a little mascara and eyeliner to frame her thick dark eyebrows and her perfect blue eyes, that sometimes appeared violet in the right light. Descending from a long lineage of French aristocrats, she knew her beauty was inherited and although her distinctive features made her stand out, she was proud of her heritage and identity.

She was beautiful and she knew it. Sometimes she used her beauty to her advantage, but most of the time she hated the lustful glances that men gave her. She often just wanted to blend into the background and gain things from merit alone rather than beauty. She was late and needed to get a move on if she was going to make it into work in time. She hurriedly pulled on a black dress, just appropriate enough for work, and a pair of cream heels before grabbing her bag, purse and keys and heading for the door.

The tube was sweltering and full of commuters, she would just make it in time if she ran to the office afterwards. Her boss, Sir Tyrion Lannister, was a very generous and friendly man but she also knew he had a temper and she didn’t want to get on his wrong side. She grabbed her phone from her purse and quickly sent a message to her best friend and colleague, Missandei, letting her know she would be running a bit late.

* * *

 

 

When she stumbled through the turnstile with just a few minutes till she had to be there, she was greeted by Missandei smiling up at her from the reception desk. “Good morning sunshine. You look tired, have any fun last night?” Daenerys stifled a snort. “Absolutely not! Unless you count eating my weight in chocolate and watching rubbish TV as a fun night.” She knew that Missandei was trying to get the gossip out of her about her casual romance with a young Spanish actor called Daario. They had been sleeping together on-off for the last few months, but if truth be told he didn’t really mean anything to her. He was there when she needed to offload some of her emotion and angst onto someone, plus he was great in bed, but she really didn’t feel much of an emotional connection with him.

She had struggled to open herself up to men since her first love, a handsome Turkish wrestler called Drogo, had passed away in a tragic car accident. She often thought of him; sometimes it bought tears to her eyes and other times she was so angry about it that she almost shook with rage. Daenerys had a dark secret, she harboured a temper and a fury like no other. Her older brother, Viserys, had once likened their angry family trait to the ferocity of a dragon. He scolded her regularly in their youth by claiming she had awoken the dragon when she displeased him.

That seemed like a lifetime ago now, and she wondered why he had popped into her thoughts at that moment. She was bought back to earth by her boss, Sir Tyrion entering the foyer with his brother Jamie Lannister, who was a wealthy banker at his father’s firm in the city. Daenerys disliked Jamie as he always seemed smug and entitled whenever she had met him. He always looked at her like she was a piece of meat rather than a person, which was something that she despised. 

In complete contrast Tyrion Lannister was a kind man; he was always dressed in beautifully tailored suits and walked with an ornate cane. He commanded a huge presence in the room despite him only being around 4ft 5”. Daenerys thought he was good looking, in a rugged kind of way. He had kind eyes, a mop of floppy greying brown hair and a scar across his face from when he served in armed forces in Iraq.

 

* * *

 

“Good Morning, Daenerys, Missandei.” Tyrion smiled as he entered his ID card into the turnstile. “Daenerys please would you follow me, it’s going to be a busy day today and I’ve managed to draft in another intern to help you with the art review today.” She glanced across to Missandei and gave her a look, as if to ask about this other intern. Missandei answered with a silent shrug and started looking through the papers on her desk. Daenerys could feel her blood boiling.  She desperately didn’t want anyone with a better track record than hers to challenge her position at the firm.

She quickly caught up with Tyrion and thought to voice her concerns. “I’m really sorry Sir, but I’ll be quite alright on my own today. I’ve done the art review before and I do know what I’m looking for. I promise I can handle it.” She was being stubborn and could feel the anger building. She was trying to be diplomatic but she thought she might scream. The prospect of her losing her position as the top intern at the firm was a nightmare to her. Tyrion glanced round, “I know you are very good at your job Daenerys, but I think it’s high time you shared the position with another worthy art historian. Jon Snow is well known in the art history circle after his education with the famed Night’s Watch Academy in the North.”

Tyrion was rambling on about this new intern, but Daenerys couldn’t see straight. She was fuming. He already had much better credentials than her and he was well known in the art world. He probably had a rich father, she thought to herself.  She had been through so much hardship in her short life that this job was everything she had dreamed of and worked so hard to achieve. She was going to have to be authoritative and put this man in his place. Tyrion brought her back into the present. “Daenerys, are you even listening to me?” He chided. “Yes of course." She mumbled. This Jon Snow. What is he like?”

She kept her tone short and clipped but not rude. Tyrion after all was her boss and he had helped her a great deal in the last few years at Leon. “He’s an honest man, I met him a few years back when I visited the Night’s Watch academy. He had just joined and they speculated that he was going to have a bright future.” Tyrion smiled at her. “He sounds like quite a man.” She managed to mutter with a hint of sarcasm. “Right well I’ll leave you to it then. Come and meet Jon and I in the conference room in around half an hour.” He smiled warmly at her as he walked away, his ornate cane clinking against the alabaster floor of the foyer.

* * *

 

She was furious, damn Jon Snow and his titles, academy, rich father and honesty. She wasn’t going to let him get away with taking her credit for the art review. She sped up down the corridor to find Olenna waiting for her in the office. Olenna Tyrell was around her late 60’s with warm kind eyes and soft features. You could see that she had been stunning in her youth. Her hair was always fashioned into an elaborate up do and she always wore stunning coloured dresses that made her look younger than her age.

“Morning Olenna.” Daenerys smiled at her through the office door. “Have you seen Jorah this morning?”  She was looking for her favourite porter, because she knew she could rant to him about her newest frustration. “Good morning my dear. I’m afraid I haven’t seen him but I’m sure he will be around somewhere. What time do you want to start the review?” She asked Daenerys. “I hear we have a new recruit this morning, would be nice to have some eye candy in the office.” Olenna chuckled.

Daenerys rolled her eyes, “Olenna, you’re a shocker! He’s from the North so he’s probably a bit rough. Not likely my taste at all.” Daenerys smirked at Olenna. She liked her men tall, tanned and usually from mysterious and foreign lands, not some snowy northern city she had never visited. “Well you never know dear, keep an open mind.” Olenna returned with a smirk. “Well certainly not today, I’m much too busy for that” Daenerys laughed and left Olenna to go and get a couple of coffees from the break room.

 

Leon was a cavernous place, with many small rooms leading off from a large ornate corridor. The walls were lavishly decorated in rich red wallpaper and gold chandeliers hung from all the ceilings. In typical Lannister fashion the whole building exuded pomp and wealth, after all the Lannister’s were the richest family in the U.K. When she reached the break room she grabbed two black coffees and headed to the Porters office.

She had known Jorah Mormont since she was at the gallery in Astipori and they had become firm friends at work, despite their big age gap. Jorah had kind eyes, a wide smile and a weather-beaten face. His hardened features suggested that he was older than his tender 40 years, but his fair hair and pale eyes kept him somewhat youthful. She felt like he was her older brother or uncle and she knew he was fond of her, sometimes too fond she thought. She walked into the small porter’s office than held 2 chairs, a desk, and all the monitors to the vast CCTV systems that were in place at the offices. She knew that they could never be too careful with these priceless art works.

She whipped into Jorah’s office, still with an air of annoyance about her upcoming meeting with Jon Snow. “Morning Princess.” Jorah smiled sweetly at her from his place behind the desk. He looked tired and she knew then that he had been on the night shift last night as well. “You look tired Jorah, here I bought you your coffee. Sadly, I can’t stay and drink mine this morning because I have to meet the new intern.” She spoke the last words venomously. Jorah looked up at her while she was standing in the doorway. “What’s wrong with the new intern? I’ve heard from Davos that he’s a nice guy.” Jorah smiled sweetly at her, the corners of his eyes creasing.

“Oh, not you too.” She whinged and looked down at her feet instead of at Jorah. Maybe she was being too harsh on a man she had never met? Still she didn’t want to appear weak so she was going to keep her cool exterior until she knew more about this man. “Why don’t you give him a chance. I’m sure he’s not like all those other pompous bastards from Oxford, Cambridge and St. Andrews.” Jorah knew how to keep her reasonable when all she could see is red. “I suppose you’re right, I’ll let him impress me himself. See you later Jorah.” With that she turned and walked back up the stairs and towards the conference room. She smiled inwardly at the thought of this meeting. She was determined to put this Jon Snow in his place.

 

* * *

 

Daenerys truly felt like a queen when she walked through the lavish rooms at Leon. She loved the sound of her heels hitting the floor as she stepped up to the large red double doors that housed the conference room behind. The marble conference room looked like it had just been moved from the Palace of Versailles into their offices in London. The floor was a rich white marble with fine black grains running through it, the walls were a pale red stone and above them on the ceiling was an almost perfect replica of _The Last Judgement_ by Giorgio Vasari. The original resides in the Florence Duomo, which is one of Tyrion’s favourite places in the world, hence the lavish replica at Leon.

As Daenerys stared up at the beautiful ceiling she didn’t even want to think about the cost of that painting. The left door swung open as she pushed ever so gently against it, making sure she didn’t embarrass herself by swinging the door open too wildly. As she stepped in she saw three men gathered around one side of the ornate stone table that took up the middle of the meeting room. Tyrion and the new intern, Jon Snow, were deep in conversation, while Davos placed some back catalogues of their art work onto the table. She drew in a breath as she walked over to the men, determined to show them that she deserved to be here.

 Everyone looked up as she approached the table, she didn’t let her expression falter as she looked at all their faces. Jon was not at all what she was expecting. He was shorter than she had presumed, with a rugged jawline covered in a neat black beard. He wore his thick dark curls swept up into a messy bun and he had striking grey eyes that were almost black under the dim chandelier light. He carried himself well with wide masculine shoulders and was smartly dressed in cream chinos and a fitted blue shirt, rolled up to the elbows. She could see that his arms and hands were muscular, and his skin a weathered tone from a lot of time outdoors.

Without lingering too long on this handsome stranger she moved her gaze to Tyrion. “Ah Daenerys, just in time. Jon has arrived and we were just explaining the cataloguing process.” Tyrion moved to introduce the two of them. “Jon Snow, this is Daenerys Targaryen. Our most trusted intern at the firm.” She didn’t change her stony expression as she greeted him. He held out his hand to shake hers, when she reached to take his hand she felt him tense ever so slightly. His hand was cool and firm beneath her soft fiery palm, she quickly moved her hand away to her side to avoid lingering too long. She watched as Jon abruptly moved his hand to his side and clenched his fist, as if annoyed. “Nice to meet you Jon.” She spoke coolly and calmly, as she made his acquaintance. “Nice to meet you too Daenerys.” He replied, his voice was deep and thick, like the most wonderful honey.

She liked the way her name sounded as it flowed off his tongue. She still wasn’t going to let him get away with this intrusion into her job though. “Once we’ve showed Jon the cataloguing process we will let you two get on with it.” Davos said from over the table. Davos Seaworth was once of the art restorers for Leon and he was a kind gruff older man with grey hair and a salt and pepper beard. His face told tales of misadventures in his youth and his eyes often shined when he spoke of his family. Daenerys liked Davos, he was always kind to her and he had a very good eye for detail when it came to the paintings. She straightened her back and looked from Davos right into Jon’s stony grey eyes “We’d better get to work Jon Snow.” The words slipped coolly off her tongue and were shot with a bit more spite than was originally intended.

 

* * *

 

The two of them entered the lift down to the cellar in complete silence. Daenerys couldn’t think of anything to say to Jon so she thought she had better just keep quiet. He was surprisingly attractive but she wasn’t picking up any vibes from him. She was stunning and it usually isn’t a surprise to her when men stare at her for too long or feel out of their depth in her presence, but Jon hasn’t really looked at her once save a few cursory glances.  Perhaps he’s already taken or he’s just too honourable to have a workplace romance? She mused to herself about Jon’s personal life as they took the lift down to the cellar.

She tried her hardest to look at her feet and not up at his handsome face. She didn’t want him to distract her while she was trying to decide what kind of person she thought he was. He did have an air of arrogance and she was sure that this was from his privileged upbringing. Maybe his father is the reason he has this job. Sly little shit she thought, there she was having no parents or family to support her in the world and he was here because of his family name. The lift jolted to a halt and Daenerys suddenly realised how awkward the atmosphere in the lift had been. 

“Jon, Welcome to The Cellar, where we house our complete collection.” She broke the uncomfortable silence by reeling off some facts about Leon and how many paintings were housed down here. It was unnervingly quiet in the cellar today, the cavernous arches of a disused wine cellar now held some of the world’s most expensive artefacts, each wrapped with the most protection and placed carefully on their shelves awaiting, valuation, restoration or sales. It was cold and dark down here, with only a few small lights illuminating the shelves and above the tables in the centre of the room. Daenerys reached for a switch and suddenly the whole space was bathed in bright light. Jon gasped as he saw just how huge the cellar was and how many shelves of paintings there were housed here. She looked at him as he stared round the room but she said nothing. He was such an enigma to her, she wasn’t sure where to even start with getting to know him.


	2. All that glitters isn't gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys and Jon aren't seeing eye to eye at all, her misconceptions of his background and her vulnerabilities get the better of her. Can their relationship be mended after this encounter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to get another chapter of this out since my first one! Things at work have been crazy and I've had no time to read or write any fanfic :( I'm hoping to catch up soon on all your amazing fics and update NLMG! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I promise to update my fics as soon as I can :)
> 
> Thank you so much for watching and commenting - it always means so much to me and keeps me writing!

Her fingers drummed on the oak desk absentmindedly, as she was thinking about how to catalogue this Monet in front of her. She was unsure of the dating and staring all day down the spyglass at the artist’s marks were making her eyes weary. “Do you mind not doing that?” His voice came out of thin air, splitting the already cold atmosphere between them like a knife through hot butter. It was a sprawling growl, deep and guttural, peppered with his strong Northern Accent.

A voice that sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine. He was so frosty and cold with her since he had arrived. He had been like this since he arrived at the auction house. Jon always appeared to be always pissed off with her; unwilling to let down his walls, meaning that she just built her barriers higher and higher. His face a permanent scowl and she had resigned that trying to make conversation with Jon was like drawing blood from a stone. She was fed up that the two of them shared nothing between them, except a monotonous greeting in the morning and then a subtle goodbye at night. They had accepted that they never talked during the day, with Jon taking his lunch alone in the cafeteria with his headphones in, while she would eat hers by her desk with Olenna.

“Erm what did you just say to me?” She took her headphones out and turned to face him, being fully defensive of her actions. This was the final straw, she was so fed up of his arrogance and obliviousness these past few weeks, that she was done with it. He always looked at her like she knew nothing and treated her with absolutely none of the respect that she had earned from her other colleagues. Her voice dripped with venom as she bit at Jon’s accusations but he just reared up even more annoyed at her. “I said can you not do that drumming thing. It’s distracting me.” God, he was so infuriating.

“Sorry Prince Jon…I didn’t realise that I was annoying you. Especially considering you never speak to me. How would I ever know?” Her voice didn’t waver once but she had a vicious temper and she could feel her anger boiling to the surface as he sat opposite her looking like he had just been stung. Her ice cold words hitting him out of nowhere. “Well I just asked you, didn’t I Princess. So, can you please stop and I can get back to work? We have a lot to get through.” He coughed and returned back to his catalogues, his headphones back in his ears.

Daenerys’ fist clutched her pencil, snapping the wood and lead into her hand as she gipped it furiously. “I know we have a lot of work to do. I’ve done this before.” She was seeing red, absolutely fuming that Jon was accusing her of being an entitled Princess and that she wasn’t any good at her job. Her face turned back to her work, the shards of wood scratching her soft palm and leaving red raw marks in her pale skin. She couldn’t even begin to say anymore, hoping that it would be the end of their spat but she wasn’t sure how they would get past this. Thankfully tomorrow was another day but she was sure that he wouldn’t get over this soon and would be as equally as frosty as he was today.

* * *

 

The next morning bought no miraculous changes in Jon’s demeanour or the interactions between them. She even tried a peace offering, she had bought him a tall double cappuccino to try and make up for their spat yesterday. She usually didn’t like to spend her money on café coffee but if this would bring Jon around then it was all worth it. She walked through the barriers and up to their offices. Jon wasn’t anywhere to be seen when she arrived, his bag and jacket neatly hung on the coat stand. She quickly tidied her things away at her desk and hurried towards the elevator to the cellar, two hot coffees in hand. She saw him standing with his back to her talking to someone. It wasn’t like her to eavesdrop or be cold and calculating but with Jon she wasn’t quite sure of his motives.

Especially after their spat in the cellar yesterday and their repeated miscommunications since he started here at Leon. It was Tyrion. Why was Tyrion here in the dark with Jon? Daenerys wasn’t usually one to listen to other people’s conversations but this time she just couldn’t help herself. Tyrion’s voice was softer than usual so she had to strain slightly harder to listen to what he was saying. “So, Jon. How are you finding your first couple of weeks here at Leon?” Tyrion’s cane was rapping against the floor as they walked slowly down the corridor to his office, a sound that echoed so loudly across the ornate halls.

“It’s been eye opening thank you. I’m enjoying working with some of the older portraits that I haven’t had much chance to handle yet.” Tyrion was quicker with Jon that he was with others, almost interrupting his train of thought before he could finish. She watched Jon thread his strong hands through his long dark hair, her mind absently wondering about how soft his hair was. What was she thinking? Focus! She willed herself back into their conversation, the coffees in her hand cooling gradually as they walked and she shuffled along behind in the shadows. The next question from Tyrion had her heart leaping from her chest. “Jon, tell me frankly. How has working with Daenerys been?”

Her breath caught in her chest, she was sure that in the silent hallway, Tyrion and Jon would hear her behind them and then she would be caught snooping. It would be an utter disaster. She was about to turn tail and run, about to get out of there and just not hear the last part of their conversation but she couldn’t move. Her body was frozen to the spot, like a rabbit in the headlights. “Errm.” Jon was nervous too, he was trying to skirt the answer to the question as much as possible. “Well she is good at her job, but she can be very bossy and sometimes she doesn’t let me even give an opinion.” Tyrion laughed, a warm hearty laugh that reverberated through his entire body and he patted Jon on the back. “It’s alright Lad, you haven’t seen her temper yet. She’s a feisty one that one, so make sure to stay well clear of her moods. However, you should listen to her, she’s very good at her job.”

Daenerys couldn’t see straight; her vision was blurred and her head felt like it might explode! God damn Jon Snow for being so honest and frustrating. Why was he irritating her so much? People annoyed her sure, but the effect that he was having on her was profound. It was as though she cared what he opinion of her was, which she very rarely did. She turned and walked away, her heels clacking loudly against the marble, not caring anymore if Jon and Tyrion heard her. She almost wanted him to know that she had overheard them talking, just to make him feel guilty for being so mean. Daenerys reached the office and threw the coffees in the rubbish, watching the dark liquid swirl around the white paper. That was the last time she did something nice for Jon Snow.

* * *

 

Later he passed the office on the way to the cellar and poked his head round the door. His loose curls tied up in a half top-knot and his shirt unbuttoned slightly, making him look a little rough and ready. He had a smile on his face as he rounded the corner, until their eyes locked, his steel grey and her violet-blue. Her gaze was piercing and direct, as she watched his Adam’s apple bob in his beard covered throat. “Do you want something Jon?” Her tone was clipped and short, she broke her eye contact rapidly, tearing herself away from his slightly mesmerising eyes. She carried on typing her most recent email as though he wasn’t there at all. He cleared his throat, as though he was a little embarrassed by the tone in her voice.

“Yeah, aren’t you coming to the restoration gallery to price that Stubbs for Davos.” Her fingers drummed on the desk, pretending that she wasn’t listening to him. She knew he hated it when she made noises like that. “What is it to you? I’m doing that valuation with Davos.” Her remark was cruel and cutting, her words vindictive. She looked up below her lashes at him and glared, a look that could turn even medusa to stone. “Daenerys can I have a word with you please?” She rolled her eyes at him, as Jon demanded they take this somewhere out of the office. “Outside, alone?” By god was he persistent. Why couldn’t he just accept that they didn’t get on? That they weren’t meant to. “Fine.” She huffed. “You have me for five minutes.” That wasn’t supposed to sound as sexual as it did.

She swallowed hard as she saw Jon’s hand clenched into a fist, as he clearly tried to control his temper around her. They walked into the tiny alcove outside her office, their bodies closer to one another than she would have really liked. “What is your problem?” His voice was higher than she had ever heard, through gritted teeth and she could see that his fists were balled up by his sides as though he was trying to reign in his anger. She could feel his fury radiating from his body as he was tensed up beside her. His curls loosely flopping from a once manicured hair style. “I could say the same to you!” She was furious with him, how dare he come into her work and start acting like this. “Oh please Daenerys, you’re acting so childish, because I’ve come in and am literally trying to help you with your job. You’re being so obstinate and won’t let me lighten your work load. Can you please just believe that I’m not doing this job to steal your position at the firm?”

Daenerys blinked at him with her wide eyes, trying desperately to control the flare of rage that was rushing through her body. “You just don’t get it do you.” The tension between them was swirling like a thick cloud of poisonous gas, ready to choke one of them. She stared up into his dark grey eyes, noticing the flecks of brown that marbled his pupils for the first time. She noticed the faint scar over his left eyebrow and the way his beard was slightly thicker on one side that the other. She couldn’t admit defeat, couldn’t admit that she was wrong. Her voice quietened in that moment as she took a deep and hesitant breath. “This isn’t just a job for me Jon. This is my whole life.” She shook her head in desperation and stared down at her feet. The patent leather of her shiny black heels sparkling in the dull sconces that littered the walls. There was silence between them, neither knowing how to approach this the right way, even though they were both well in their twenties and grown adults. “Hey it’s ok it’s just a job you know.” He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off instantly, the feeling of his palm on her exposed skin, was like a brand in the state of heightened sensitivity that she found herself in.

“Don’t touch me.” She could tell that her words were like a stone dropping in the lake, loud and clear. “You don’t know a thing about me Jon Snow. This isn’t just a job, I’ve worked so hard for this and now you’re going to ruin it for me. Unlike you I wasn’t born of privilege, I was sent to faraway lands to hide and run. I was chained and betrayed, raped and defiled during my years in exile, so now you wonder why I want to keep my position here. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth or a father who paid for everything, so don’t talk to me like we are equals. Also, don’t pity me for what I’ve just told you. I didn’t say it because I need you to care about me.” Daenerys was shocked at herself. She didn’t even register what was slipping over her lips before the words were out in the open like some sort of literary vomit. She stared at Jon, his expression shocked, mouth gaping and eyes wide, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Daenerys.” His voice was faint like a murmur, as he reached out his hand towards her, before slipping it quickly back into the pocket of his trousers. She was done, she needed to get out of here before the emotions swallowed her back up. What had she done telling Jon her biggest secrets? She never usually divulged the horrors of her past to anyone, wanting to get by on her own merits rather than the sympathies of others. “That’s enough Jon. I’m going. See you tomorrow.” With that she turned and walked away from him, leaving him silent and still in the gloomy corridor of Leon.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers over her temples as she walked back to the office, enjoying the echo of her walk in the cavernous hallway as never looked back at him. The Stubbs wasn’t going to value itself so she headed to the restoration department to meet Davos and hopefully forget the conversation that she had just had with Jon.

* * *

 

Later that night when she got in from work and shut the front door slowly, the dull thud of the door closing echoed loudly around her empty flat. She felt absolutely exhausted and emotionally drained; the lump in her throat, that had been sat there since about two o’clock this afternoon, bubbled up to the surface, as hot salty tears ran silently down her cheek. Her mascara staining her face and the rims of her eyes red raw. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed into her cold and silent apartment.

Why was she feeling like this? Why was Jon making her feel so small and helpless? She regretted telling him anything about her past and how she got to her job. It just made her feel weak and she didn’t like to show weakness. She needed to get over this feud with Jon, even if that meant damaging her pride a little and being less stubborn. They needed to work together to succeed. When she closed her eyes in bed that night, her face puffy and red from crying, she could see his eyes when she told him what had happened to her. Not in so many words, but she stated the abuse that she had suffered and he looked like she had just shot him.

His words catching in his throat as she continued her rant, her eyes catching his as she looked up at him. He was in full disbelief, eyes wide as saucers and mouth almost agape. She watched him swallow slowly and when he reached for her she just couldn’t take anymore. She couldn’t handle him being so close to her when she felt so vulnerable and was laying her soul open for him. She needed him to understand why she had told him, even though she didn’t quite understand herself. They needed to get to know each other and start fresh. Daenerys really hoped that they would have the chance to try again because deep down she was pretty confused about her feelings towards Jon. She curled up into a tight ball and closed her eyes desperately willing the thoughts to stop swirling around her head, because tomorrow was another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for your comments :) I hope you're enjoying how these two's thoughts of each other are unfolding!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and as always your comments and kudos are so appreciated and keep me writing during tough times. It's been hard to concentrate recently but all your lovely comments really spur me through my writers blocks! 
> 
> Love to you all!


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